But, this is bound to end (we all say) and there will be plenty of chances to do the usual summer garden activities. Here is a helpful and partial run-down of what you should be doing in your summer garden. Our web site has the full list.

* Cool weather and excess moisture in spring allows fungal diseases to thrive. To prevent reinfection, remove as many infected leaves as possible.
* Prune late-spring flowering shrubs and hedges now.
* Avoid pruning oaks and elms between mid-April to mid-July. Oak Wilt and Dutch Ellm Disease are spread by sap-feeding insects carrying the disease from tree to tree.
* Replenish mulch under trees and shrubs to conserve moisture, reduce weeds and control temperature fluctuations in soil.
* Monitor all plants regularly for pest and disease problems.
* Pull weeds before they go to seed. After a rain, roots will pull out more easily and completely.
* Plant summer-flowering bulbs and annuals. Annuals are developing roots; fertilize and keep well watered.
* Monitor container plants (especially those in clay pots) daily for watering needs.
* Pinch garden mums and asters once a month (until July 15) for bushier growth.
* Remove faded blossoms from flowering annuals, perennials, and roses to encourage more blooms.
* Fertilize roses with a 10-10-10 slow-release fertilizer after first bloom.
* Check bird houses for unwanted tenants and fill birdbath regularly.
* Divide and replant iris. Discard any plant showing signs of insect or disease. Iris should be divided every three to five years.
* Remove spent flowers and pinch back leggy foliage from annuals and perennials to promote bushier growth and more flowers. Stop pinching mums after July 10 to allow flower buds to set.

We’ve all heard the benefits of mulch in the warm months. Several inches of compost, shredded wood chips, or other organic matter can keep soil moist and attract beneficial organisms that enrich soil.

While not necessary for all plants, winter mulching also can protect tender or less hardy plants from the freeze-thaw cycles that can cause them to prematurely pop out of the ground. This is called “frost heaving.”

Good plants to mulch in winter are alumroot, lady’s mantle, lambs ears, ferns, small bulbs like crocus and snow drops, as well as plants next to concrete. Young trees planted this year can also benefit from winter mulching.

Taylor says making leaves into mulch is a simple process. Rake leaves from healthy trees in a pile, mow over them a few times, and collect them in trash bins or garbage bags. (Leaves from diseased trees should be thrown away.) After the ground has frozen in December, apply the mulch around your plants.

“Timing is critical. You don’t want to apply mulch too early,” says Taylor. “Otherwise it may delay the soil from freezing, when your plants need to go dormant.”

Come spring, “you can remove some of the mulched leaves if they are too thick,” says Taylor, “but let most of them decompose where they are.”

Look for more info on other late-fall garden cleanup tasks. And don’t forget your tree talk community wants to hear from you. Tell us about the plants you mulch in the winter, what your winter mulch “recipe” is, and, in your experience, what other plants frost heave.

A winter mulch provides for a bountiful spring garden.